I recommend astaxanthin for rosacea because it's working for me, and it has a lot of other really great benefits.
A really awkward word, astaxanthin is what makes salmon and flamingos pink. An algae that produces astaxanthin, a red substance, to protect it from ultraviolet light is just part of the food chain, and when salmon eat the algae, the fish turn pink.
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, along the lines of beta-carotene, but it is fat-soluble. It's good to have a mixture of fat-soluble and water-soluble antioxidants in your diet. Vitamin C is water-soluble, for example.
Researchers found that astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that actually crosses the blood-brain barrier. Additionally, it's anti-inflammatory, and that's the key for rosacea.
I have been taking it for a few years. My rosacea flare-ups are less frequent even though I'm not using Metrogel now. It also gives me more energy. I can tell when I run out!
My skin texture and color are also improved. One thing as you get older is that the freshness of your skin dulls. Children have that slight pinkness to their skin that older people lose. Astaxanthin helps keep some color in your skin, but not redness like rosacea. I think it helped smooth out my skin--along with exfoliants like Retin-A. I don't have the blotchiness and irregular pigmentation anymore.
And the weirdest thing is that I don't sunburn anymore. If you looked at me, a fair red-headed woman, you would assume I sunburn, and I used to. But astaxanthin's purpose in the algae is to prevent UV damage and death, and it does that in human skin, too. I don't intentionally go sit out all day with no sunscreen, but I can be outside in the sun for 45 minutes and not get burned. If I plan to be out longer, I slap on some zinc oxide sunscreen. Luckily, there are more non-chemical sunscreens available now.
I also read some research into astaxanthin for recovery after exercise, such as for peak athletes. Antioxidants are great for so many reasons, and currently, astaxanthin appears to be one of the most potent yet.
I believe that astaxanthin is a key supplement if you have rosacea. It won't turn you bright pink, but it will give your skin a healthy color. Like all supplements, avoid the synthetic versions. Nutrex Hawaii makes a natural product. Jarrow also has an algae-derived product.